Dispensing valve units



cfm.

July 30, 1957 o. F. HALL 2,801,032

DISPENSING VALVE UNITS Filed Jue 9, 1955 Egg I7? vena? za?? j? fa/Z ited States Pate C DISPENSING VALVE UNITS Owen F. Hall, Waukegan, Ill.

Application June 9, 1955, Serial No. 514,256

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-449) This invention relates to improvements in dispensing valve units for bottles and more particularly to dispensing valve units adapted to be detachably inserted in the neck of a beverage bottle when the bottle is supported in inverted position for dispensing the contents thereof.

One form of my invention may consist of a dispensing valve adapted for relatively free flow of liquid from the bottle as long as the valve is actuated. A second form of my invention may be adapted to provide a metered ow of predetermined liquid from the bottle when the valve is actuated.

Dispensing valves of the general character above described are usually of a relatively complicated and expensive construction, are difficult to assemble or disassemble, and cannot be readily cleaned as is often necessary with devices of this kind.

Among the objects of the present invention are to pro vide a dispensing valve structure of the character described which is of simple and economical construction, can be readily assembled or disassembled, and easily cleaned.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a dispensing valve constructed in accordance with my invention, showing it inserted in the neck of a bottle supported in inverted position. The valve shown in this igure is of the type adapted for free flow of liquid from the bottle when the valve is held in open position.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of dispensing valve, which is adapted to provide a metered flow of liquid when the valve is actuated.

Figure 5 is a detailed section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the details of the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the dispensing valve unit indicated generally at consists of an enlarged hollow main body 11 made up of two cuplike portions 12 and 13 of generally similar shape and size made of suitable metal or plastic material. The larger ends of portions 12 and 13 are detachably connected together in end-to-end relation, as will presently be more fully described, to form the hollow main body 11.

One of the cuplike portions 12 is provided with a neck 14 of reduced diameter, surrounded by a tapered sealing ring 14 made of suitable yieldable material such as rubber, for securing the valve unit to a bottle neck 15, as shown in Figure 1. The neck 14 of the upper cup portion 12 has an inlet bore or passage 16 extending axially therethrough which opens into an enlarged upper chamber 17 of the cup portion 12. A small vent pipe 18 extends through the neck 14 along one side of the inlet passage 16, and communicates with a passage 19 opening laterally into the open air below the tapered sealing ring 14'. It will be understood that the upper end of the vent pipe 18 is adapted to extend upwardly as usual within the bottle to a" point above the liquid level, so as to afford free flow of liquid from said bottle as the device is operated.

The lower portion 13 of the valve body has a neck 20 of reduced diameter, with a discharge passage 20 extending axially therethrough. A disc 21 is mounted in the lower end of the discharge passage 20', which disc has a central aperture 22 therein forming a bearing for a valve plunger 23. Said disc also has a plurality of apertures 24, 24 surrounding the central aperture 22 for permitting discharge of liquid from the valve.

The valve mechanism associated with the plunger 23 consists of a tapered valve member or plug 25 made of suitable yieldable material such as rubber mounted on the plunger, and adapted for seating engagement in the upper end of the discharge passage 20 of the lower cuplike member 13. The upper end of the plunger 23 has a threaded portion 26 axially engaged in a guide stem 27 which projects upwardly through an aperture 28 in a cross plate 29. Said cross plate consists of a iiat, spiderlike ring having its outer rim adapted to t between outwardly extending` anges 12 and 13 on the adjacent rims of the upper and lower cuplike portions 12 and 13.

The cross plate 29 has a plurality of segmental openings 30 intermediate its rim and a central guide portion 31 through which the guide stem 27 of the valve member extends. In the form shown herein, the guide p0rtion of the cross plate includes a downwardly bent flange 32 to provide an elongated bearing for said valve stem.

The cross plate is mounted between the flanged rims 12 and 13 of the cuplike portions 12 and 13, with annular washers 33 and 34 interposed between said cross plate and said anges, respectively.

g The two cuplike portions are held together by suitable clamping means, herein consisting-of two clamping ring segments 35, 35 which are U-shaped in cross section, as shown in Figure l, and are adapted to hold the opposing anges of the said cup-shaped portions under yielding tension when the device is in assembled relation, as in Figure 1.

Although the clamping means shown herein consists of two separate ring segments, for convenience in assembly or dissembly, said clamping means could be made of a single ring member split at one point, or of more than two separate, shorter ring segments if desired.

The ,valve member 25 is normally urged toward closed position by a coil spring 37 surrounding the guide stem 27 and interposed between the cross plate 29 and a backing washer 38 engaged with the upper face of the valve member 25. The plunger 23 has a cross bar 38 connected to its lower end, in the form shown, said cross bar being bent in a V-shape, as shown, so as to extend partially into a beverage glass or the like when the valve is to be moved into open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure l.

From the above description it will now be understood that my improved form of valve is extremely simple in construction and operation, requiring a minimum number of moving parts. It can be readily disassembled by removing the clamping members 35, 35, whereupon the two cuplike portions 12 and 13 may be separated, and the cross plate 29, Washers 33, 34, and coil spring 37 can be removed, to expose the inner surfaces of said cuplike portions for cleaning. If desired, the valve member 25 can also be removed from the plunger 23 by unscrewing the stem 27 from the said plunger, whereupon the plunger and the valve member can also be entirely removed from the device for cleaning, or for replacement or repair.

Manifestly, the parts just described can be as readily assembled, in the reverse order mentioned.

In the modified form of device shown in Figure 4,

the main elements of thervalve structure are the same as previously described in connection with the form of device as shown in Figures l to 3, the'only structural diiljerences,being,withV respect ,to the addition of an auxiliary valvefmemb'e'r 4i) mounted on'therupper end of the stem`27 for closing the inlet passage; 16,' and an additional vent pipe 41v having a port`74r2' opening directly uid through the valve, yet this ,form of valve can beV used toV dispense liquid in Vmetered amounts of reasonably uniform quantities when desired, by quickly moving the plunger upwardly and holding it in itsV uppermost posi- Ition to keep the auxiliaryV valve 40 closed, until the initial amount of liquid within the valve chamber has been withdrawn, Vand then releasing the plunger so that the lower valver25 will be quickly restored to closed posi- `tion. In practiceit has been found that it Vis usually preferable to provide for the metering oiganV approxisrnately'uniform volume of liquid, with Vthe v.possibility `of aslight increase in volume if desired, ratherrthan v.use ak dispensing device which *can only be operated to intofthe upper chamber 17 of the valve body; VThe provide an exactly uniform, metered amount of liquid everytime it is actuated. Y Although I have shown and Hdescribed certain emcations may be made without departing from the spirit -and scope -of the invention as dened by the appended fclaims.

I claim: Y

Y f l. A liquid dispensingvvalve vfor containers, comprising a pair of cup-like members having hollow body portions and outwardly extending opposed rim anges of given Vouter shape, one of saidcup-like members having an inlet passage and the other of said cup-like members having lan outlet passage, valve means comprising a spring-pressed plunger extending axially through the outlet passage, a valve member Xed .on said plunger within the hollow body portion of the other cup-like member for seating engagement relative to the outlet passage therein, guide means kfor saidV guide stem comprising a perforated cross plate havingtthe Vmarginal edge portion thereof supported between the opposed rim anges of the cup-like members, and clamping means having an inwardly opening groove corresponding in shape to the said given outer shape of the rim flanges, said clamping means removably .engaging the-opposed rim anges with the rim Vflanges being receivedwithin the groove to .create a liquid-tight seal. therebetween, said clamping means Yfurther detachably securing the cup-like members together to form an enlarged liquid ,receivingV chamber intermediate theV inlet yfand outlet 2. The structure as set forthin claim 1, wherein said clampingrneans is substantially of U-shape in cross-sectional coniguration and has a length no greater'than the length of said rim flanges. Y 3. The structure as set `forth in claim 1,'wh'erein said hollow body portions are Yannular in conliguration` and of substantially the same diameter and said given outer ,shape of the said rim ilanges is continuous, annular and circular.

References cited in the ale ef this patent FOREIGN PATENTS @wwwa- 

